On Tour: Mark Smith Previews “The Amazing Joy Buzzards”

The first issue of “The Amazing Joy Buzzards” from Image Comics hits shelves this Wednesday. The book was delayed after some printing miscalculations — the black, white, and pink color concept threw some kinks in the works, but after much waiting, writer Mark Smith finally gets to see his brainchild hit comic stores.

The Amazing Joy Buzzards are a rock and roll adventure band of Beatles and Rolling Stones proportions who solve mysteries, fight giant robots and evil witchdoctors, and explore the supernatural all with the help of their mythical Mexican wrestler friend El Campeon.

“‘The Amazing Joy Buzzards’ is part Scooby Doo fun, part ‘Speed Racer’ action, and part ‘Confessions of a Dangerous Mind’ retro feel, with rock and roll thrown into the fun,” Smith told CBR News from his Manhattan Beach, Calif. home. “Scooby Doo was an influence for the fun, and Speed Racer for the amount of adrenaline we wanted this book to have.”

Back cover art by Scott Morse (L)

and Sean Galloway (R)

The first issue features a giant pink robot and plenty of action. Smith said he didn’t want his band to waste any time with an origin story. Instead, the group jumps right into the action in the first issue.

“It’s a day in the life of an adventure band,” Smith said. “And that could mean anything. Zombies, supernatural models, all could be around the next corner.”

Providing art for the series is artist Dan Hipp, who’s known Smith for four years. The idea for the black, white and pink interiors was Hipp’s.

“He got the idea from Frank Miller’s ‘That Yellow Bastard.’ It has a really cool effect in the comic. You’ll also sometimes see this in movies to emphasize certain events.”

The two are working on the pencils for issue 4 and the plot for issue 7, Smith says.

The first issue carries a price tag of $2.95 and features pin-ups by Jim Mahfood and Scott Morse. To celebrate the launch of the book, Smith provided Comic Book Resources with the following preview. For more on the book, read our July, 2003 interview with Smith.